So how do plants know which way is 'up', then, when they are germinating
in
the dark . . . ? Does this not imply some sort of perceptive and
decision-making capability, albeit on a fairly mundane level?

Here's a link : http://www.biology-online.org/3/5_plant_hormones.htm

Fair enough . . . but I do find myself wondering if biology is a function of
consciousness, or vice versa . . .

Andy
"The bridge flows, not the river" - Zen proverb